One of the two cars that goons tried to set afire at Ramadevi Women’s Autonomous College in Bhubaneswar and (below) students campaign at Sailabala Women’s College in Cuttack. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati and Badrika Nath Das

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, Sept. 20: Rama Devi Women’s College here witnessed some tense moments after “outsiders” tried to set afire two cars parked on the campus.

The trouble began after the nomination of Ashiya Jahan, one of the three aspiring presidential candidates, was rejected on the ground of shortage of attendance (less than 75 per cent) after scrutiny of the papers.

Jahan, who fainted on hearing the outcome, was rushed to the hospital. While her supporters cried foul and demanded reconsideration by the election committee, a few women managed to enter into the campus, doused two cars with petrol and set them afire.

The police managed to save the cars from much damage. At least four women, apparently former students of the college, were detained and taken to Mahila police station for questioning.

The authorities held a meeting to decide further course of action. The two other presidential candidates are Apoorva Aparuppa and Swasti Das Nayak.

The police were present on the campus when the incident took place.

Mild tension gripped Kamala Nehru College too after the nomination of one of the two general secretary aspirants was cancelled. However, no violence was reported from the campus.

Similarly, no untoward incidents were reported from the Utkal University where all the nominations were found valid after scrutiny.

At the Basic Science College, students “selected” their own candidates. While Shashikant Parida was selected the president, Suryanarayan Behera was selected the vice-chairman and Mir Ashraf general secretary of the students’ council.

In Cuttack, the poll was cancelled at Banki Autonomous College and sine die was clamped following violence on the campus.

The sine die decision was taken after college property was ransacked following the rejection of candidature of five students. The students alleged that the college authorities had intentionally rejected their candidature.

Alleging partiality of the college towards a particular political students group, the students demonstrated and later ransacked property on the campus. The college authorities denied such allegations. The situation in Ravenshaw University and other colleges in the city was peaceful.

“The situation in our varsity has been peaceful and there will be a close fight among contestants as all of us are trying hard to win the confidence of the students,” said Pramod Pati, an aspirant from Ravenshaw University.

All the students who had filed their nominations for various posts in the students union at Shailabala Women’s College have been elected uncontested after the publication of the valid list this evening.

“Four students had filed nominations for the president’s post. Since the other three applications were rejected, I was elected uncontested,” said Srabani Swain, who won the post of the president at the women’s college.

Likewise, Dinesh Sahoo was elected president at City College and there will be an election only for the post of vice-president as two candidates are in fray.

The “What I stand for” meeting will be held on September 27. Polls will be held on September 29 and the results will be declared the same day. The oath-taking ceremony would be held on September 30 after which the all colleges would be closed on account of Dussehra vacation, which is from October 1 to 7.